Donald Trump’s visit to China: Beijing invokes Washington sanctions over Iran involvement
United States Treasury placed five Chinese firms on its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, and this included freezing their assets and banning transactions with them.
Black News 
Just as the President of the United States, Donald Trump is packing his suitcase ready for his forthcoming visit to China, Beijing has just hit back on Washington’s recent action against five Chinese companies.
China seems to be hitting back against the United States economic threats to the former’s investments.
For the first time, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has invoked its “blocking statute” prohibiting any recognition, enforcement or compliance with US sanctions imposed on five Chinese companies.
The sanctions were imposed under two executive orders 13902 and 13846.
China’s Ministry of Commerce ordered companies not to comply with US sanctions against five refiners, including recently designated Hengli Petrochemical.
Beijing is citing a law that allows China to retaliate against entities enforcing sanctions it deems unlawful.
China is calling the US sanctions an unjustified and improper use of extraterritorial law.
This marks the first time China has deployed a systematic, institutional response to dismantle the extraterritorial reach of US sanctions, as the Rules on Counteracting Unjustified Extra-Territorial Application of Foreign Legislation and Other Measures adopted in 2021 was designed to shield companies from sanctions.
In late April 2026, the United States Treasury placed five Chinese firms on its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, and this included freezing their assets and banning transactions with them.
The affected Chinese companies include, Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refining, Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical, Shandong Jincheng Petrochemical Group, Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group and Shandong Shengxing Chemical.
The U.S. sanctions were placed on the firms over their alleged involvement in Iranian petroleum transactions.
Yet, China is opposing the unilateral sanctions that lack authorization from the United Nations and the basis of international law.
Beijing points out that the U.S ban does not affect China’s fulfillment of its international obligations, nor does it affect the country’s protection of the legitimate rights and interests of foreign-invested enterprises in accordance with the law,
Washington and other Western governments have sanctioned a number of Chinese firms for trading Iranian or Russian oil, drawing repeated criticism from Beijing.
However, Hengli Petrochemical has denied US allegations that it was trading with Iran.
As it happens, independent refiners in China are the main buyers of Iran’s oil exports.
